


Legion Oneshots (Original Oneshots)

by that_loser_mika



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Biphobia, Bullying, Childhood Trauma, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Gay Panic, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Partying, Slurs, Swearing, Underage Drinking, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, anger issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29074563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_loser_mika/pseuds/that_loser_mika
Summary: Just some oneshots from my original story, Legion. I'm currently in the process writing the story, so I'm just putting out oneshots as I write them, so I can get an idea on what people think. (Any comments, or criticism is welcome)I'd really appreciate it if you took the time to read it. I can't promise consistent updates, but if you enjoy them, please stick around!***Please read the tags (I'll update them as I go)***
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 6





	Legion Oneshots (Original Oneshots)

**Author's Note:**

> While accompanying his friends to a party, which he doesn't want to be at, Dae Castillo gets called a slur. He has a panic attack, and his boyfriend, Phoenix Wylie is not happy. Mainly because he didn't know. 
> 
> TW: Mentions of alcoholism, depictions of drinking, slurs (the f one), panic attacks
> 
> (Title from Rain by AmaLee)

“I’m just saying, Toke,” Dae shook his head as the shouts of their half-drunk friends were only slightly muffled by the walls, “we need to accept that all of our friends are alcoholics.”

Hitoka laughed in response, glancing back at Skyler, who was arguing with his boyfriend about some movie that they disagreed about. Skyler and Phoenix argued about stupid things all the time, and this time was no exception.

“It’s amazing they can drink so much, and still function normally the next day,” she said, grabbing a plastic, red cup from the table.

He snorted, “I don’t know what you’ve seen. Whenever Phoenix drinks on a school night, I have to wake up early to ensure that he wakes up at all.”

"Not surprising," she muttered, rolling her eyes, "Angelo told me the other day, and I quote, ‘If the dumb bastard can't wake up on time, that's not my problem.'” 

He wasn't exactly wrong. It wasn't Angelo's, or even Dae's responsibility to make sure that Phoenix woke up on time. But he didn't mind. He never had. Especially when it gave him an excuse to get out of his house. 

"I have to do it during break too," he admitted, sighing as he leaned against the wall. 

“Wait,” she furrowed her brows in confusion, “Ivey doesn’t wake him up? Renee doesn't?”

“Nope.” He replied, grabbing his own cup. “Renee just leaves, and when I get there, Ivey has either left for an early shift, or just gotten back from a late shift. Since there’s no one else there, I’m left on baby-sitting duty.”

Ivey, Phoenix's oldest sister, had given Dae a key a couple years ago, before he and Phoenix had even started dating. He woke up early every morning, drove over to Phoenix’s house, and made them both breakfast. Phoenix would wake up the minute he smelled food, and would practically slide down the banister. He always got so excited when he saw Dae, which absolutely drove the other boy crazy. His heart was always pounding when he felt his boyfriend’s arms wrap around his waist, pressing a kiss into his hair, his cheek, his neck. It didn’t matter how many times it happened. It still made him panic, but in a good way. On the mornings he was hungover, he would have to be there at least half-an-hour earlier than he usually did, just to make sure Phoenix actually woke up. He acted like he hated it, but everyone knew he loved it. It was so… domestic.

She hummed in response, filling her cup with ice. She held her hand out, offering to fill his as well. He handed it over and nodded in thanks.

“Listen here, McClain!” His idiot barked from the other side of the house. “You have no taste, and I’m right!”

“No, you’re not, dumbass!” Skyler yelled in response. “You’re just stupid as shit!”

“You’re both dumb as shit! What does it matter?” Karson added, shouting over them both.

“Can you all just shut up?” Luca screamed, effectively shutting them up. “God, I hate you people!”

Dae slowly turned to Hitoka, who had filled both of their cups with water. She looked at him, and they both started giggling at the madness of their friends. He took a sip of his water, barely able to keep himself from spitting everywhere.

He truly didn’t get why his friends drank so much, but it was moments like this that made him understand. Phoenix and Skyler were now cackling like the idiots they were, their obnoxious laughter echoing through the entire house. It was loud, even over the blasting music. They sounded so happy, so free. Skyler finally dropped the weight of the world, let go of all of her pain, and loosened up. He knew it was a crutch that she abused, but he understood, so as much as he didn't like it, he allowed it. It was preferable to the alternatives she had come up with. His boyfriend was more, or less the same in terms of effects. Phoenix’s laughter didn’t sound as forced as it usually did, and his smiles weren't fake. He sounded so genuinely happy. Dae had to admit he was jealous that alcohol could do the thing he couldn’t. He could never get Phoenix to truly be happy. But damn it if he didn’t get close.

Before he could make a comment about the laughter, a group of people walked into the large kitchen. Hitoka froze, taking a step closer to him.

“Well, well, well,” Wes smirked, his eyes sweeping over them both, “look what we have here.”

He and Hitoka exchanged a look that said the same thing. _We’ve got our drinks. Let’s just go_.

He stepped forward, moving to leave, but Wes shoved him back lightly. For the quick second they were close, Dae could smell the beer wafting from the older boy. But then again, Wes Martell didn’t need to be drunk to be an asshole.

Wes looked into his and Hitoka’s cups and scoffed, “What? Alcohol too strong for you, Castillo?”

He knew exactly why he was getting singled out, but he didn’t exactly care. Better him than her.

“No,” he narrowed his eyes, “I just didn’t feel like drinking tonight.”

Someone in Wes' group snickered for some reason. He didn’t understand why. He hadn’t said anything funny. He was just stating facts. He genuinely didn’t feel like drinking. He never felt like drinking. He had seen the effect of alcohol on his parents, and he had started to see it in his sister. He had lectured her for over half-an-hour, and she had gotten to point. Hopefully. He didn’t care how he seemed to people for not wanting Kess to drink, or not wanting to drink himself. He didn’t want either of them turning into their parents.

It was one of the reasons Dae didn’t understand why Phoenix drank so much. He should’ve understood more than anyone. His father was an insane alcoholic, and while Phoenix never remembered the conversations, Dae remembered every nightmare that he talked about. Every single one included the sickly smell of alcohol on his father’s breath when he screamed at him, or hit him.

Breaking him from his thoughts, Wes snorted as well, turning to Hitoka, who glared at him. “What about you, princess? You don’t feel like it either?” He mocked.

She rolled her eyes at the nickname, “I’m designated driver. Besides, I’m not a fan of getting drunk as shit, and acting like an idiot.”

Dae made a mental note to add this to one of the six, now seven, times he had heard Hitoka swear.

He whistled, glancing at his friends as he crossed his arms, “What, like your buddy over there?” He smirked at Dae as well. “And your boyfriend?” He put extra emphasis on the titles. Dae stepped forward, having had more than enough of his time wasted by this douche.

“If you’ll excuse us, Wes,” he lightly bumped Hitoka’s arm, and he was sure she got the hint, “we’ll be going. I have to get back to my ‘drunk, idiot boyfriend’. Thank you for wasting our time.” Hitoka walked past him, giving Wes a fake smile. Dae gave him a two-fingered salute, something he had picked up from Skyler, before following her. He just so happened to walk in the direct path of him, shoulder-checking him.

Dae heard him scoff behind him. The older boy sounded like a child, five seconds away from throwing a temper tantrum.

“Watch where you’re going, _fag_.”

He froze abruptly. He could tell Hitoka had stopped as well.

“What the hell did you just say?” He muttered shakily, not turning around.

Wes roughly grabbed him by the shoulder, jerking him around. His drink sloshed around, spilling on the tile floor. “I said that you should watch where you’re going, _faggot_.”

 _That_ word.

He couldn't even force himself to repeat it.

Dae supposed the word did technically count for him. He was half-gay, so to speak. But, god, that word. How many times had he heard it when he was younger?

His parents weren’t exactly a big fan of all of… that. When he had come out as bisexual, they promised him that they wouldn’t use slurs anymore, and they would do better. They had told him that they wouldn’t treat him any different, because no matter what, he was still their son. That was one of the few times Dae had felt lucky to have the parents he did. But when he realized that they hadn't meant it, he didn't feel lucky anymore. 

“What? Does that word make you mad? Does it make you wanna cry, faggot?” He felt someone shove his shoulder, making him stumble in the state he was in. Wes' friends laughed harder.

He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. What was happening?

Hitoka seemed to sense his panic, and took a step forward, “C’mon, Wes. That’s enough. You’ve made your point.”

He glared over at her, looking her up and down in disgust. In hatred. 

“I was talking to you, _princess_.” He sneered, but she didn’t back down. She roughly shoved him, and grabbed Dae’s hand. She had started to pull him away, but he clearly wasn’t done. He shoved her back harder, making her stumble forward. She would’ve fallen over if Dae hadn’t caught her.

“Don’t shove me.” She growled, glaring at him, and for a second, he looked surprised. Dae had to be honest, he wasn’t sure he had ever seen Hitoka so vicious. He wasn’t sure anyone had.

Wes whistled again, “What was that, princess? You don’t like being shoved?” He took a step closer to her. “Or is it that I called him a faggot? Are you one too?”

She went to hit him, but Dae caught her hand, still shaking. Why was he still shaking? “Don’t, Toke. It’s not worth it.” He mumbled, pulling her back. He disagreed. He wanted her to do it. He wanted Wes to suffer. But right now, in this moment, he wanted to cry. He wanted to leave.

"Let her hit me." He taunted. "Let her do it, _faggot_."

There it was again. Dae could feel his eyes watering, but he had to force back the tears long enough to get away. He just needed to get away. Wes didn't need anything else to hold against him. Now that he knew the effect the word had him, Dae had a feeling he'd be hearing it a lot more. He needed to be able to school his expression if, _when_ he heard it again. 

Hitoka seemed to notice how bad he was doing, and she nodded. She grabbed his hand and pulled them away. Wes shouted profanities and slurs at them that Dae didn't care to remember, but he didn't follow them. He didn't have to. His words did the job just fine.

 _Faggot_.

He hated that word more than any word he knew. And he knew a lot of words. He spoke seven languages for god's sake. 

“Hey,” Hitoka said softly, pulling him from his thoughts, “don't listen to him. He's just trying to get under your skin.”

Well, it was working. It was working really well. 

He nodded, swallowing hard. He was blinking rapidly, refusing the break down in front of so many people, “I know.” He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “I just need a minute. I'm gonna go to the bathroom.”

She nodded, but he knew what she was planning. She was going to tell Phoenix what had happened, and tell him exactly where he would be. In a way, he was thankful for that. He was glad that she cared about him so much. He was grateful that Phoenix cared about him even more.

Before he went off, he grabbed her shoulder, “Please, Toke. Don’t tell him.” She clearly didn't like it, but nodded.

“He cares about you, y’know,” she stated as if that fact wasn’t obvious to him.

“And that’s fine. That's great even,” his voice shook, “but he doesn’t need to worry about me too.”

He was already walking away when he heard her call, “He always does, Dae,”

He ignored her. He knew that too. But Phoenix didn't need to worry any more than he already did. 

The guest bathroom in the house in the hallway next to the kitchen, so he was there in less than thirty seconds. It would most likely be about ten minutes before Phoenix got to him. Hitoka was probably just getting back to their group, and she was about to tell him. He knew his boyfriend well. Phoenix was immediately going to go after Wes. But Dae wouldn’t be there to stop him. No one would try to. They knew better. 

Phoenix would kill him.

Good.

He couldn’t help but want the bastard dead. He knew it was vicious and cruel, but after everything Wes had done to him, to all of them, he deserved it.

Just as he was about to open the door, an arm wrapped around his shoulder, making him jump. When he saw who it was, his heart dropped to his feet. He pretended he was annoyed, rolling his eyes.

“Not funny, Nix,” he muttered as his boyfriend laughed at him, “you scared me.”

Phoenix pressed a kiss into his hair, still laughing, “Sorry, babe. I was just wondering where you were. Hitoka came back, but you didn’t.”

_Oh._

This was one of the few times that he wished that Phoenix didn't care so much. 

“The bathroom,” he said, peeling the arm off of his shoulder, “I need a break from all the noise.”

He rolled his eyes dramatically, groaning loudly, “C’mon, Dae, that’s so lame,” he grabbed Dae’s hand, spinning him around, which only made him even more dizzy than he already felt, “It’s a party. You can rest when we get home.”

If this were any other time, he would be swooning from the word choice. But this wasn’t any other time. He smiled, even if it was fake, “I’ll only be a few minutes, Phoenix.”

Phoenix gave him a bored look, and nodded, most likely going off to find the rest of their friends. Dae sighed, relieved that he didn’t notice anything.

After closing, and locking, the bathroom door, he leaned against the smooth, cold, snow-colored wood, slowly sliding down to the ground. Every emotion that he had pushed back came flooding out. Tears rapidly fell from his eyes, reminding him of a rainstorm. One that seemed to be sudden, and neverending. 

The word still floated around his mind, making everything fuzzy. 

Was that really what he was? Was that all people thought of him anymore? He liked guys. That's all that anyone cared about anymore. It didn't matter that he liked girls too. It was slightly uneven, with guys having more pull than girls, but that didn't mean that he still didn't like girls. He still had the chance to be normal. He could still be just like everyone else. But did that matter to anyone? Nope. He was still partly an anomaly, still partly wrong. It was all, or nothing. One, or the other. But why? Why did it have to be that way?

Fuck, his chest hurt. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t see. His ears were ringing.

He couldn’t think.

What was happening to him?

He was Daedalus Castillo. He was a genius. He was his parents' pride and joy, or so they had always said. He was calm and composed. He was polite and kind. Daedalus Castillo didn’t have breakdowns in bathrooms after getting called a slur at a party that he shouldn’t have been at.

But Dae did.

That’s who he was right now. He was just Dae. He was just a kid. A kid who was breaking his parents' rules and disappointing them again. Just like he always did. 

Why did that word have such an effect on him? Was it the million times he had heard it as a kid, or even now, as a teenager? Was it the plastic, fake layer in his mother and father’s voices when they said they still loved him? What was wrong with him?

He wiped his eyes, not feeling the need to cry, or think about this ever again. He was going to go back out there, have a good time, and forget this ever happened. Phoenix wanted to be here, so he was going to try to enjoy it as much as he could. 

He was definitely not going to tell him. It was better if he didn’t know. The last thing Dae wanted was for Phoenix to get in any more trouble than he already had. Not for him.

He stood up, checking his reflection in the mirror. His dark, gunmetal-blue eyes were a little red, but it would probably go unnoticed. Other than that, he was fine. Everything was fine. He opened the door, hoping he looked presentable. He would just act like everything was fine, because everything was-

“Dae?”

_Oh, god._

Phoenix was leaning on the wall next to the door, his cup halfway up to his face. He was clearly in the middle of taking a sip when the door opened. He had been waiting for Dae to come out. 

He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready for his boyfriend to see him like this. He was supposed to be the rock for Phoenix. He was supposed to be there when life got too much for him, and hold him, and tell him that everything would be okay, no matter what.

Phoenix wasn’t supposed to do this for him.

As the golden eyes that he loved so much scanned him over, Phoenix seemed to sober up immediately. He set his cup down on the table next to the powder room, and leaned in closer. It was like he was inspecting him.

“Phoenix?” He faked confusion, hoping Phoenix was drunk enough to buy it. “What are you doing?”

He was not.

Soft hands held Dae’s face gently, “Your eyes are red and puffy. Were you crying?”

He forgot how observant Phoenix was. He was like a hawk, or an owl. He seemed to notice everything, no matter what state he was in.

He sighed, “It’s nothing, Nix. I'm-”

“It’s not ‘nothing’, Dae.” Phoenix interrupted. “What happened?”

Dae sighed again. This was what he wanted to avoid. Phoenix was going to freak out, and then he was going to go after Wes, and then he would get in trouble, and then…

He didn’t want to think about what happened then.

“When Hitoka and I went to get drinks, we ran into Wes.” He explained, trying to leave out as much as possible.

“And what did he do to you?” He growled, his voice low and calm, which was what was scariest.

“He,” he trailed off, knowing this was about to go horribly wrong, “he called me a slur.”

Phoenix’s face lost all emotion the second the word ‘slur’ came out of his mouth. His bright, sparkling eyes darkened.

“Listen, Phoenix,” Dae paused, trying to figure out what to say, how to fix this, “I’m fine, okay? It’s fine.”

But he wasn’t listening. He had turned around, already heading in what was most likely the direction of the person who was about to kill.

This is why he hadn't wanted to say anything. Phoenix was furious, already planning ways to turn Wes' insides into outsides.

Dae grabbed his hand, trying to pull him back as best he could. He knew all he was doing was slowing his boyfriend down. He frequently forgot Phoenix was a lot stronger than him. He was a lot stronger than a lot of people. 

“Nix, no!” He pulled him back, stepping in front of him, his hands raised, ready to push him back again if needed. “Phoenix, don’t! It’s not the big of a deal!”

His boyfriend raised an eyebrow, fired up and ready for a fight. He shook his head, clearly trying to stay as calm as possible.

“Oh, yeah?” He growled. “Dae, I saw you right after that happened, and you didn’t tell me. In fact, you lied to my face. You don’t think I had a right to know?”

His glowing, golden-yellow eyes almost burned orange in his rage. Dae had always been good at calming him down when he got like this, but now, he didn’t know how. Because Phoenix was right. He should’ve said something. He deserved that much from him.

“Of course you did,” he said, still trying to make sure a certain someone wasn’t going to die within the hour. He needed to calm Phoenix down, or Wes Martell wasn’t going to see sunrise. Not that he didn’t deserve it.

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

Dae began wringing his hands, unable to find an answer, “I…”

What could he say? He was selfish. He didn’t say anything, because he didn’t want Phoenix to see him like this. He didn't want Phoenix to know how weak he was. But he didn't want him to get in trouble for hurting Wes either. Dae knew all too well what would happen if he did.

Phoenix scoffed at his inability to give an answer, pushing past him. He was cracking his knuckles, ready to break every bone in Wes' face, and probably the rest of his body as well. He looked so angry, so furious. He looked bloodthirsty. He would've said that type of look was uncommon, but he knew he'd be lying. He saw it far too often. But this was different. 

Dae wasn't scared of him, he never had been, but in this moment, he wasn't sure what he felt.

“Because I hate seeing you like this!” He blurted, taking a step forward. Phoenix stopped, turning back to him. “That's why!”

All of the anger drained from his boyfriend’s face, and Phoenix sighed, “Dae,”

His voice was soft, calmer than it had been before. It was slightly grounding, but it wasn't doing much to help him. 

“I told you I was _fine_ ,” his voice was shaky, with it breaking on the final word. He could feel the tears streaming down his face, like rain falling down a pane of glass, and he wasn't sure when they had started. 

Phoenix stood there, just staring at him for a minute. Dae couldn’t even try to look him in the eyes. No one had ever seen him like this, not Kess, and certainly not his parents. He had never really had friends before his current ones, so he had never had friends to comfort him. Sure, he had known Skyler since they were babies, but before this, he hadn’t seen her since they were seven. He wasn’t exactly breaking down daily back then.

Phoenix’s arms wrapped around him, yanking him out of his mental mess that he called a thought process. His boyfriend buried his face in his neck, placing a soft kiss on the skin. It was so… _calming_. He didn’t really know how to describe it. He sighed, his breathing ragged, finally returning the warm hug.

“I’m sorry you have to see me like this,” he muttered, sniffling softly. 

Phoenix’s arms seemed to wrap around him tighter, “You’re allowed to break down sometimes, Dae. I know you think that you have to be strong all the time, especially for me, but you don’t. You’re there for me when I have my bad moments. You calm me down after nightmares. You stop me from hurting people when I get like that. You make me the best version of myself.” He paused, his breath shaking. “You do enough for me. Do this one thing for yourself. Let me help for once.”

Is that really what he thought? Did he really care about him that much? He couldn’t exactly say he was surprised, but still. It was strange. Love was strange.

“I’m sorry,” Phoenix mumbled, the words buzzing through his neck, “I know you hate shit like this. I should’ve never forced you to go.”

“It’s okay, Nix,” he whispered, sniffling again. Phoenix pulled away, his face refilling with anger, which was overwhelmed by concern. His hands came up to Dae’s face, gently cradling it. His thumbs scrubbed over his cheeks, wiping both new and old tears away.

“We can go. We don’t have to stay just because I want to.” His boyfriend offered, smiling softly. “We’ll go to my house. We can make popcorn and watch one of those dumb science movies you like.”

That sounded like paradise. They could just sit on Phoenix’s heavenly soft couch, eat overly buttered popcorn, watch astronomy documentaries, or sci-fi movies, and forget all of this ever happened. He’d wake him up in the morning, and make him the usual hangover breakfast. They’d drive to school, and Phoenix would complain the entire way there about the headache he refused to take medicine for. That’s exactly what he wanted.

But they couldn’t do that. Not yet.

“But if we leave, they win,” Dae smiled, looking up for the first time since he started breaking down, “and we’re not gonna lose.”

Phoenix’s small smile turned into one of his usual million-watt grins. He laughed, hugging him again, twirling him around. Dae laughed as well, almost falling over when Phoenix put him down. They stared at each other for a moment, just happy to be there. Dae closed the space between them, bringing them together like he had a hundred times before. Phoenix smiled into the kiss, deepening it, his hands finding Dae’s back, and wrapping around his waist. His own hands snaked up to his boyfriend’s fluffy, soft hair. Phoenix’s lips were soft, and every touch seemed to piece Dae back together a little more. It didn’t matter how many times they had kissed. It was always as magical as the first time.

They had been dating for around seven months, but he had to admit. He would never get tired of these moments.

When they pulled away, Dae just smiled at him, brushing the messy auburn hair behind his ear. Phoenix loved it when he did that.

“C’mon, love. Let’s win.”

_Love._

Now that word he liked.

Phoenix happily took his hand, and pulled him out of the bathroom. He let himself be pulled. He was dragged back to the room where their friends had been arguing over stupid movies, and screaming like maniacs. Some loud rock song began blasting through the house, causing Phoenix, Skyler, and Karson to start dancing like idiots, unaware of any attention they brought to themselves. Dae couldn’t help but join them. Phoenix grabbed his hand, spinning him around, making them both giggle. He yelped as his boyfriend dramatically dipped him, causing Karson to groan loudly in annoyance. He wrapped his arms around Phoenix’s neck, pulling him into a short, passionate kiss. Behind him, he heard Karson mutter to Skyler that Phoenix was gonna get laid, making Luca smack them both in the head. 

He could neither confirm, nor deny that. 

When they pulled away, he smiled warmly at his boyfriend. Phoenix stared down at him like he had pulled the stars from the sky, and handed them to him.

“I love you,” Phoenix muttered, still distracted by some feature on his face.

For a moment, Dae couldn’t breathe. He was pretty sure his heart stopped for a minute. 

_Holy shit. It was happening._

It had technically already happened once, but it hadn’t happened since then, and now, it was happening again.

Phoenix looked at him, worry in his eyes as his face flushed. Before he could take back what he said, Dae pressed a quick kiss onto his cheek.

“I love you too,”

He never wanted this to end. And for now, it didn’t have to.

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah. That was it. I'm not sure when I'll post another one, because editing is a lot of work on here, but if you wanna see more, I'd really like to know that. Constructive criticism is more than welcome. If you notice an error, please let me know. If you think something else should be in the tags, please let me know. If you need context for anything, please ask in the comments, because I am more than happy to provide it. I don't really have anything else. Thanks for reading.  
> (Also this goes without saying, but let me make this clear. I'm gay, and I would never use the f slur in this way. It's hard enough to write it, but it was necessary for the story.)  
> (The fact that I have to say this as well is really upsetting. Please do not leave weird comments. The only comments I have gotten were weird and inappropriate, and I don't like it. It makes me feel like my word is being invalidated, and like I said, I don't like that. Please be considerate.)  
> \- Mika


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